Battery-operated book light



Jul-Y 24, 195l l v. v. LANGDON ET AL 2,561,744

BATTERY-OPERATED BOOK LIGHT Filed Aug. 1'7, 1948 Patented July 24, 1951 BATJZElltY-OPERATED,BQOKLIGHT Verafvil'llangdon and J ohnV Sl- Irvine Indianapolis, Ind-1 Application Auglltfl'l, 194.8., `Serial No.. 44,674.

This. mentionnant, tdportableibuok. lamps..

and morev particularlyto.atbooklampo Ithe., battemeoperatedj. type', which.. ist. employed. to. i1.'- lnminate the,` pageant 'an.op errbool'el4 A mainobjectof.. theinvention4 is to provide. a novel. and improved. b.atterfyfoperatedv book .lamp which is. very, simple. in construction.. very com- Daetifn Size. andllwhticnmayibe.readily attached toa booksotthatfillumination ofthe book' may be obtained for. readinesamein locationswhere sufieientlight; for. reading;A is not. otherwise Vavailable, or `where, it isi desired to. reade abook without disturbing others. inthe vicinitnas for example, on vehicles such as trains, buses, and thelilze.

A `further object otthe .invention is to provide atcompact.` portable reading lamp; which. is inexpensive tomanufaeture, rugged. in. construction and, neat Iin..appearance..A

Further objects andadvantagesrof; the invention-.will .become apparent from, the rollowing-"des cription .andjclaims,. andffrom .theaccompanying drawings, wherein.:

Figure` 1 is,a perspective view of .i an open book showing areadingglamp accordingl to the .present inventiontsecured thereon. in. operative. position.

Figure 21s. avertical cross-sectional View taken tlirougl'r the.` reading lampof Iigure,` .1; the. lamp beings shown A.in folded `inoperative position.

Figure Seis. an. enlargedcrossesectional. view takenonlinep .olfiliigule 2.1.

Figure 4 is. an enlarged elevationalview of'jthe lamp folded.. inoperative position.y

Figline` vis. a cross-sectional view taken 'on line 5,-.,-5`L-'of-` laligllre,Y 3;"

liiglire.jisi a crosseisectional viewtaken on line lis-6." of" Figure. 31

Fgure,..'1 isv aLf'r'agmentary perspective detail View ofltlehinge barportonof the :swingable armf the. lamp. unit ofFigure 1;

lteferringI to the.V drawinas.,..l`l' designates a casing` of suitable lightweight insulating'materi'al, suohasl plasticor the like formed with parallel cylindrical.cavitiesl I2, I2 in which respective flashlight cells I3,` I`3are positioned. As shown in Figure 3, one,` ofwthe cellsahasitscenter terminal Iddirected downwardly andthe other cell has itscenter terminal directed upwardly-q Casing II has a bottom wall I5, to which is secured acontact spring lISi hav-ing: one springi arm engaging the bottom of one cell andthe other spring'.` arm engaging..V the downwardly directed center` terminal of the-other cell. Casing I I-fis formed with y a=centraleroove or channel.. I'Ilocatedbetween thelcavitiesn, I2.

Designated' at I8` a... removable capgfmember Having depend'ngf''hollowy cylindrical bosses I9,

24 I9 fitting intotheupper portions oftherespective` cavities I2,',y I2; Thecap: member I8is removably secured to casing IIby a U-shaped `wire bail`: whose side arms 2I,` 2I fit into opposingrecesses formed in the respective bosses. .I9 Aand the ont-'-V wardly adjacent portions ofcasing( II, thereby locking; the cap member I8 against removal. When the bail 20 is withdrawn by moving"it;up wardly as` viewed in Figure 5, or downwardly as viewed in Figure 6; the capmember I8is released from the casing.l

Thebosses Iii,` I9 are formediwith opposingI axiallyalignedrbores. 22, 22 inwhich are .rotatably positioned the respective end p ortions of: a hol` low shaftmernb'er` 23;. Rigidly secured `toY shaft" member'23fisa hollow arm 24 extendingat right' angles to shaft" member 23. at the mid-point thereof and being receivable in the channel I'I.` Secured to the end' ofiarm 24 Vis a: lamp. socket 25` into which is threaded the lamp 2b." Rigidly secured to socket 25 is the transverse bar element 2'I`J which hasv secured thereto the vizor or reflector 28 overlying the lamp 26. Bar element 2T'and vizor 28 are co-extensive in. width with casing I I, andgas shown in Figures S'and 4, form a longitudinal extension of the casing when the device is in its .folded position with" the armv 24 nested within channel II.

Moi/ably positioned in upwardly tapered openingsiZSand 3U"formed in the bottom walls Vof'jthe respectivefbosses' I9,` I9; are contactballs 3l and 32.` Ball3l engages. the center terminal ofthe uprightashlight celland ball'32 engages; the

metal bottom .of the shell ofthe inverted fl`ash.

light cell.` Secured to the respective end portions of the 'shaftmember 23, are' oval contact bands 33and'34. Bands 33 and 34 are located immediatelyabovethe respective balls 3| and32 but" do not engage Said balls when" arm 24` is nested in channel I1. However, when arm 24 is rotated." to an outwardly extended position; as shown in dotted view in Figure 2; the tip` portions ofthe oval "bands'33 and 34 engagetherespective. bal-ls' 3l and 32` The shaftmember'23 is formed'of vinsulating materia1^`butarm 24 isformed of metalv and-` is hence electricallyA connected to theshel'lV ofsock'et Z5. Band 33 is electrically connected to arm 24 by a wire 35 and band 34 is electricallyconnected to thecenter contact of socket` 251by a wire 3,5.

It` is,`therefore, apparent; that' when arm 2'4 is ro.- tated to,` an outwardly extended position, as above describedytheelamp 2E^wil1= be energizedvbya ciricui.tcomp ris'ing` the cells 'I 3', I3: `connected in series by springs] 6'; ball 3l., band 33, wire .3.5 ',i arm 24,' the shell of'socket 2 5'," theV lampr Illamenty the 'center light distributed from lamp 26 by the reflector' When the device is not in use,

it may be col;

lapsed to the folded position shown in Figuresz,y 3, and 4, whereby it may be readily carried'in a" pocket or handbag.

While a specic embodiment of a portable book lamp has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art.l Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as dened by the scope of the appended claims.

. What is claimed is: Y l

1. A portable lamp of the character described comprising a generally flat casing formed with a longitudinal recess, an arm hinged to said casing adjacent one transverse margin of said casing and being receivable in said recess ina substantially flush position therein with respect to the casing and being movable to anV outwardly extended position, a lamp socket carried at the end of said arm, a battery in said casing, a switch element carried by said arm and being engageable with the battery responsive to movement of the arm to said outwardly extended position, and circuit means including said batteryl and switch element connected to said lamp socket.

2. A portable lamp of the character described comprising a generally nat casing formed with a longitudinal central recess, a pair of spring clips secured 4to said casing on the same side of the casing-.as said recess and spaced on opposite sides of the longitudinal central line of the casing, said clips .being spaced so as to be engageable over the top marginal portions of a pair of book covers when the book is in open position, an arm hinged to said casing above said spring clips and being receivable in said recess in a substantially flush position therein with respect to the casing and being movable to an outwardly extended position, a lamp socket carried at theend of said arm, a battery in said casing, a switch element carried by said arm and being engageable with the battery responsive to movement of the arm to said 'outwardly extended position, `and circuit means including said battery and switch element connected to said lamp socket. f

`3. A portable lamp of the character described comprising a generally flat casing formed witha longitudinal recess, an arm hinged to -said casing adjacent one transverse margin of said casing and being receivable insaid recess in a substantially ilush position therein with respect to the casing and being movable to an outwardly extended position, a lamp socket carried at the end of said arm, a battery in said casing, a switch outwardly adjacent the other transverse margin of the casing substantially iiush with the casing when said arm is housed in said recess.

4. A portable light unit of the character described, comprising a casing formed with a pair of spaced cavities, each receiving a liashlight cell,

and formed with a groove between said cavities, a .cell ineach.eav, ity, opdoen-.being upright and thefo'thercell being inverted, a con-tactmember in the bottom of the casing electrically connecti ing the center terminal of the inverted cell to the shellof the upright cell, a top cover removably secured to said casing, said top cover having a 4pair of spacedhollow bosses overlying the respectiveqcells, the bottom walls of the bosses being each formed with an opening axially aligned with the subadjacent cell, a movable contact ball element carried by said arm and being engagetransversely extending visor carried by `saldarm .overlying said lamp, said visor being receivable seated subadjacent each opening, a shaft member journalled in the bosses, said shaft member having secured thereto respective parallel oval ring elements overlying the respective openings and engageable with the balls seated "therein, an arm rigidly secured to the shaft vmember at right anglesthereto, said arm being receivable ,in said grooveand being swingable to'an outwardly extending position relative to the casing, theoval ring elements being out ofengagement with the balls when the arm is in said groove and engaging the balls when said. arm is in outwardly extended position, a lamp socket carried at the end of said arm and respectiveconductors electrically connecting the respectiveovalring elements to the respective terminals'o said lamp socket. y v

' 5. A portable reading light of the character described Vcomprising a casing `forrned with a pair of spaced cavities, each receivingna ashlight cell, and formedwitha groove between' said cavities, a pair of spring clips secured to said casing on opposite sides of said groove, ya flashlight cell in each cavity, one cell being upright and the other cell being inverted, rneans in said'casing electrically connecting the center contact of the inverted cell to the shell of the lupright cell, a shaft member rotatablymounted in the casing above the cells and having an arm secured at right angles thereto, said arm being rcceivablein said groove in substantially vilush relation to said'casing and being swingable to van outwardly extended position relative to the' casing, respective oval contact rings carried by said shaft member overlyingthe central axial top yportions of the cells, means electrically connecting one oi the contact rings to the center contact of the upright cell and the other contact ring to the shell of the inverted cell responsive to the movement of said arm to said outwardly extended position,` alamp carried at the end of saidarm, circuit means connecting the lamp terminals to the respective contact rings, and a vizor carried by said arm overlying said lamp.

VERA V. LANGDON. JOHN S. IRVINE.

REFERENCEsAv CITED The following references `are of record in the file of this patent: 

